Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said Thursday that Brett Kavanaugh’s accuser is being maltreated by Senate Republicans, and she urged women to watch the handling of her sexual assault claim.
The New York Democrat said Republicans in the Senate don’t want to get to the bottom of the allegation, which is why they have not attempted to force the FBI to investigate Christine Blasey Ford’s allegation of a decades-old attempted assault at a high school party.
“I do hope every woman in America is paying very close attention to this body,” Ms. Gillibrand said at an anti-Kavanaugh rally inside a Senate office building, where she and Sen. Mazie Hirono accepted a letter of support for Ms. Blasey Ford, signed by hundreds of former students from Holton Arms, the posh private girls high school Ms. Blasey Ford attended.
Those who signed the letter said they support her story. Organizers of the letter said Judge Kavanaugh’s confirmation should be delayed until the FBI investigates.
Originally the Senate Judiciary Committee had been slated to vote Thursday on Judge Kavanaugh’s elevation to the Supreme Court. But Chairman Chuck Grassley, Iowa Republican, postponed the meeting and instead set another hearing for Monday to give both Ms. Blasey Ford and Judge Kavanaugh a chance to testify. Judge Kavanaugh has repeatedly denied her allegation.
Ms. Blasey Ford, after originally saying she wanted to testify, now says she wants an FBI probe first.
She has not responded to the Judiciary Committee’s requests for her to submit to a phone interview with investigators.
• Alex Swoyer can be reached at aswoyer@washingtontimes.com.
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